With a new body style, new weight distribution rules, new tire camber rules and new rear suspension rules for all cars in 2013, Stewart, and owner/driver at Stewart-Haas Racing, knows what worked for some of his competitors in 2012 won’t work in 2013.

“I am discouraged that we are finishing this way, but not because of what it’s going to lead to next year,” Stewart said. “Everybody is going to start with stuff that is totally different package-wise than what we have.

“(It will be) a totally new body that is obvious to everybody, but things underneath the car that the guys are doing to the cars this year they are not going to be allowed to do next year. There are a lot of changes and it’s going to be a whole new learning process starting over in Daytona.”

But what happened in 2012? Stewart’s cars weren’t as fast as in 2011 and he made some mistakes, most notably at Talladega late in the year when he tried to block Michael Waltrip and caused a 24-car crash.

The season had started on such a high as Stewart won two of the first five races with new crew chief Steve Addington as he visited victory lane at Las Vegas and California.

Stewart, who spent part of the year looking for new sponsors for his team and organization, won a third race at Daytona in July.

“I think the high point is probably winning at Las Vegas, winning at a track we hadn’t won at before was definitely a high point,” Stewart said “A lot of places that we were so good at last year in the Chase, not being good this time and this year around was a little disappointing.”

Those finishes included a 13th at Charlotte, 27th at Martinsville, 19th at Phoenix and 17th at Homestead.

That was a far cry from a year ago when he finished eighth at Charlotte, first at Martinsville, third at Phoenix and first at Homestead.

“It was disappointing (because) I was hoping for a lot more,” Stewart said. “It’s not because we didn’t win but we were a lot better team than a ninth-place team in the championship.”

Maybe the only consolation was that the driver he battled for the championship in 2011 didn’t win a race nor make the Chase. So Stewart didn’t have the misery that Carl Edwards had.

“It shows how competitive the series is,” Stewart said. “You can be on top one minute and turn around the next minute and be quite a bit behind. It makes you focus a lot and try to make you stay on top of the game.”